For Friday, Sept. 19, 2025

1 – Exotic mushrooms are invading Michigan and pushing out native fungi. 

State officials say it started as a fun and tasty culinary trend. Golden oyster mushrooms are featured on restaurant menus and in cooking videos. They became popular in the early 2000s with grow-at-home kits.

But the mushrooms, native to Asian and Russia, are now growing wild in the Midwest, including in Michigan’s southern lower peninsula. 

Residents are encouraged to report any sightings of golden oyster mushrooms, known for their bright yellow caps and nutty flavor. 

Go online to iNaturalist.org. 

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2 – More baby lake sturgeon will soon be swimming in the Saginaw River system. 

During public events planned for Saturday, Sept. 20, more than 100 native sturgeon will be released into each tributary of the system: the Cass, Flint, Shiawassee and Tittabawassee rivers. 

The tiny sturgeon come from lower Lake Huron near the upper St. Clair River. They were reared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at a hatchery in Wisconsin. 

The release events run from 11 a.m. in Midland to 2:30 p.m. in Frankenmuth. 

Lake sturgeon were once abundant in many Michigan lakes and rivers, but nearly eradicated due to overfishing and habitat loss. 

Partners including Bay County and the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network have been working since 2017 to bring the fish back to the Saginaw River system. 

So far, more than 7,000 sturgeon have been released to local waters. 

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3 – The clock is ticking on federal clean energy tax credits.

These incentives enable American taxpayers and taxpaying entities to cover 30% or more of eligible clean energy technology costs, from solar to geothermal to electric vehicles. 

The credits are being phased out years earlier than planned, starting Sept. 30.  Most of the upgrades require completed installations by Dec. 31.

Information on project eligibility and more is online at RewiringAmerica.org. 

(h/t Michigan EGLE)

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 6:45 and 8:45 Friday mornings on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM WUCX in University Center, Michigan, near Bay City (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes